1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for applying a desired sound field effect to a music sound that contains a non-harmonic component such as a noise in addition to a harmonic component.
2. Description of Related Art
To apply the realism of live performance to music sound signals such as an instrument sound signal and a voice sound signal, a reverberation effect is conventionally created by a sound field effect applying apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 60-52896, for example. Such a reverberation effect is created by simulating an acoustic behavior of sounds in which a generated music sound directly reaches a listener from a musical instrument in an actual performance and an indirect music sound reflected from wall or ceiling reaches the listener with a certain delay relative to the direct music sound. Generally, the reverberation effect is created by controlling the mixing ratio between a generated music sound signal and a processed music sound signal obtained by delaying the generated music sound signal. As the level or amplitude of the delayed music sound signal is raised relative to that of the generated music sound signal, the sound field effect having a great distance perspective is created.
On the other hand, to electrically generate a music sound of an acoustic musical instrument with high fidelity, a conventional electronic musical instrument adds a noise to a harmonics component of a music sound when generating the same, as described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 4-116697 and Hei 4-340999, for example. The term "noise" herein denotes a non-harmonic blowing sound generated when blowing a wind instrument such as a flute and a non-harmonic rubbing sound generated when a bow is rubbed against a string of a stringed instrument such as a violin. To impart a desired sound field effect in an electronic musical instrument that reproduces a music sound of an acoustic musical instrument more faithfully, a music sound signal intentionally added with a noise is inputted in the above-mentioned sound field applying apparatus.
Generally, a natural noise generated during the play of an acoustic musical instrument has a characteristic that the noise is actually heard well or relatively conspicuous when the sound source is near enough to a listener. As the distance between the sound source and the listener increases, it becomes more difficult for the listener to recognize the noise.
An attempt is made to apply a sound field effect having distance perspective or sense of distance by the above-mentioned sound field effect applying apparatus to a music sound added with a noise by the above-mentioned electronic musical instrument. In such a case, it is necessary to increase the level of the delayed music sound signal when enhancing the sense of distance. This inevitably causes increase in the level of the noise contained in the delayed music sound signal at the same time. Therefore, the attempt to impart the sound field effect having the distance perspective results in an unnaturally conspicuous noise, thereby failing to create the realistic sound field effect. Thus, the conventional arrangement presents a problem that performance atmospherics varying with an actual situation cannot be rendered sufficiently.